To Square the Circle
by Twinchy
Summary: Setting: Season 3, some time after 'Common Ground', Story: Trading missions can be murder, Shep whump, McShep friendship, team story, Carson, Genii, Kolya, Now Complete!
1. Chapter 1: A Welcome of a Kind

**To Square the Circle**

Disclaimer:The Atlantis show and characters belong to their respective copyright holders.  
The story is mine (except for one tiny plot line idea inspired by David Gammell).

It's plainly for fun; I neither sell it nor make money with it.

Scene setting: Season 3, some time after 'Common Ground'

Story:Trading missions can be murder

Shep whump, McShep friendship, team story, Carson, Genii, Kolya

oOo

**A Welcome of a Kind**

It was barely noon and a warm autumn breeze played with the leaves on the grassy plain and in the huge trees. Three men were standing in close proximity to the large monument that wasn't used very often lately.

Yet none of them so much as flinched as the Gate kawooshed, opening a portal for the strangers who had announced their return some hours ago.

Sheppard, Rodney, Ronon and Teyla emerged from the event horizon and turned to their waiting company immediately.

"Ah, Colonel Sheppard", ambassador Mroxos welcomed them cheerfully. All three men bowed their heads in a gesture of respect.

The Atlantis team did so likewise, knowing from their previous visit yesterday that the inhabitants of this planet were easily offended by people not sticking to their protocol of politeness. It had already taken a dark look from Ronon at McKay to convince the scientist of adapting the small gesture and also the ambassador's gracious understanding for alien cultures to avoid an éclat the other day.

"Ambassador, how nice of you to keep us company for the way back to the city", John exclaimed with a smile.

He didn't really feel content at the thought though, wishing he could have spent the half-hour walk with his team mates, discussing their trade strategy.

After all, this was very important and he didn't think too much of either Rodney's or his own trade talents.

Fortunately Teyla was with them. Her being a Pegasus Galaxy native and a brilliant trades person by that, could perhaps turn the tide in case the council didn't want to sell their precious ZPM to anyone.

Ambassador Mroxos looked a bit puzzled at the four Atlanteans, obviously expecting someone else.

"I thought you wanted your expedition's leader to lead the negotiations."

"Unfortunately Dr Weir wasn't able to attend the meeting this afternoon due to other responsibilities. You will have to make up with me, Ambassador", Sheppard answered with fake nonchalance.

It was just tough luck that Elizabeth wasn't back to Atlantis yet from her trade mission to Kanoor.

Nothing could possibly be more important than the prospect of getting another ZPM. Despite that, she had told him she couldn't leave their new partners at the moment, trusting the negotiations to him and Teyla when he had dialled her up.

At the very least he knew she would be safe, since Lorne and his team had accompanied her.

The ambassador shrugged with a smile, bade them follow him and turned to the far city, his two ever-obedient servants walking five steps behind him. Team Sheppard followed suit, not sure whether or not their host was content with the answer concerning Elizabeth's absence, yet unable to explain it any further themselves.

A look back at Teyla's brown eyes showed John that she also doubted this had been a good start for them.

'Stay positive now', the Colonel told himself. 'Rodney is enough of a pessimist for all of us.'

He knew that was a little unfair because often enough the scientist's fears proved uncomfortably right to some point. But on the other hand most times everything turned out fine, eventually. Well, perhaps not fine but at the very least they always more or less got away in the end. Hopefully their lucky stars were shining down on them right now too.

They desperately needed the ZPM.

After a while John and Rodney caught up to Mroxos with Teyla and Ronon close by, watching their six and surroundings, and started a casual chat in order to improve their impression on the man. It was never too late for that, or was it?

The sun stood high up in the sky now, warming the seven people on the plain with more intensity than even Teyla would have believed. The temperature indicated more summer than autumn and McKay found himself pondering about not wanting to spend his summer vacation on this planet, already sorry he didn't bring his sun blocker.

Finally the city's buildings came into view close enough to make out different styles in architecture, which bore witness to various epochs of enlarging Shry, the planet's capital.

Ambassador Mroxos turned to John who walked a mere step behind him, Rodney at his side, when all of a sudden a deafening bang thundered across the plain. In next to no time Mroxos and his servants threw themselves to the ground, team Sheppard anxiously kneeling in the grass, suspiciously watching the surroundings, guns in hand. For a while nothing else happened. No movement, nothing.

The tension passed. John, Rodney, Ronon and Teyla slowly lowered their weapons, still keeping an eye on the close tree line.

Then, like in slow-motion, Sheppard collapsed, a stunned look on his face.

oOo

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2: Taking all There is

A/N: Thanks a lot for reviewing my story, you guys are great. Here's the next bit, with a very special thank you for my beta twinchaosblade.

This chapter is really getting tough, be warned.

oOo

**Taking all There is**

The others turned to him in shock.

John lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily, his right hand on his chest. When he lifted it weakly, it was covered with blood. He looked as though he couldn't comprehend it.

McKay was at his side immediately, staring in utter devastation at his friend, whose shirt and jacket were already soaked. Teyla kneeled down and pressed her hands on the Colonel's gunshot wound while Ronon kept his eyes on their surroundings, looking equally shocked.

Sheppard tried to say something but his throat was suddenly dry and breath was too short.

Teyla said something about calling help, the sound drifted away like wind-driven clouds.

He gazed at Rodney through increasing distance, his eyes already shading as the scientist started to panic. Turning his head to Teyla, John couldn't even hold on to his thoughts long enough to remember to look at her eyes. His mind drifting away from reality though, spared him the realization that there was nothing his team mates could do to help him.

Sheppard reached for McKay, vision blurring, and wanted to tell him to calm down but then abruptly stopped breathing, his arm falling down in mid-air. Rodney's heart seemed to skip a beat. He caught John's hand before it ever hit the grass. John drew in a ragged breath again, through gritted teeth. Around him was only cold and darkness.

He couldn't see Teyla's tears trickling down on him anymore, couldn't feel the soft, warm sun on his skin. His last hold on the world was his mere hand clasping desperately at McKay's.

He coughed violently, spitting blood and almost lost his grip on Rodney. But the scientist pressed his hand with more strength than he had ever thought possible, never letting go. Sheppard's mind floated away from his precious hold, no matter how hard he tried to cling to it. He grasped at McKay's hand even stronger, never noticing that he was actually relaxing already. In a major effort he forced his eyes open, yet couldn't see anything but fog. Didn't even notice he actually never opened his eyes at all.

One last strained breath, then he finally gave in to the cold and the never-ending darkness.

When the Colonel eventually went limp and stopped breathing, Teyla immediately reached to check on his pulse. There was none. Even the bleeding had somewhat lessened.

Rodney stared, still unbelieving, at his friend's pale face, still holding the man's lifeless hand.

He turned to Ronon, who stood several feet away with a blank expression.

Neither Teyla nor McKay had ever seen the Satedan like this. He was visibly shocked.

When Rodney wanted to start a desperate attempt on reviving John, Teyla stopped him.

"It's too late." A short pause, then: "He is dead." Her voice sounded unreal, even to her.

"Ahhhhhhhhhrrg!" Behind Teyla Ronon yelled his frustration to the sky, fists clenched.

She stood up, dragging McKay with her and he finally, reluctantly let go of Sheppard's hand.

It bore something ultimate, like a door shutting close forever.

When Rodney turned numbly, Ronon was already heading for the ambassador, who instinctively backed away from the angry Satedan. The two servants protectively stepped up in front of their master but their faces displayed more terror than bravery. Obviously they didn't like confronting their furious visitor one bit.

'And who could blame them?' Teyla thought.

She had been friends with Ronon for quite a while now but she also knew him well enough to stay out of his way if his eyes were blazing like that. Much less be the cause for that look.

Ronon still held his blaster in his hand, pointing it at their hosts and shaking with rage.

"If you had anything to do with this, not even your Gods can help you!"

The men were staring at him. His whole expression promised a slow and very painful death. McKay and Teyla displayed not the slightest hint to stop him in case he went berserk. There was undeniably silent accusation in their eyes.

Hesitantly Mroxos stepped forward and put his hand on the aimed blaster, lowering it to the ground. The faintest doubt kept Ronon from firing it and probably starting a massacre.

"I had no part in what happened here a moment ago. I swear."

"Why should I believe you?"

"What would I have gained from it?"

"You tell me," he grumbled dangerously.

"Please, see reason."

"All I see is my friend dead on the floor. You tell me to see reason again, I'll have you see it in your guts nailed to the tree."

The situation was getting out of the ambassador's hand. Another wrong word and the tall man was likely to carry out his threat. He straightened up and cleared his throat.

"I do this very rarely but since you came here in peace and fell victim to a vicious attack neither I nor your people could be held responsible for, I am willing to offer my personal assistance in his attention."

Rodney coughed and almost forgot to breathe.

"What? Are you going to donate a beautifully hand-crafted coffin?" He snapped sharply.

Mroxos pretended not to have heard and continued with growing self-confidence.

"Leave me alone with him for a while. All of you."

After none of them so much as moved a single step, he added: "Please."

The way the ambassador stressed this one word, finally made them turn away, getting some distance between him and them, aimlessly walking toward the city that had nothing to offer that was worth a life.

Kneeling beside Sheppard, Mroxos took a close look at the man whose eyes were closed and who seemed truly relaxed for the first time since they met the other day.

He was still young, probably in his late thirties, and carried a great deal of responsibility for their mission and the people involved.

The man had always seemed casual in his behaviour with his team and with others but now that the politician thought about it, there had also been a restriction of some sort. A line that he never allowed himself to cross.

'Interesting', he thought. 'These people really might prove an interesting new trade's partner.'

The Colonel's injuries were severe but that didn't dishearten him. He put his hand on the blood covered chest and concentrated, balancing time and flow.

It didn't come easy, it never did.

The anxiety of keeping the delicate stream steady exhausted him more than a heated debate with some of his worst critics in congress, he mused. Yet, he could see the success, read it in the way the other man's face changed colour, his skin beginning to take on a warm touch again.

Watching in awe, his servants stood nearby, not comprehending what was going on.

Ambassador Mroxos smiled weakly and nearly lost control of the not quite finished process.

'Keep your concentration in place', he chided himself. If he drifted away too soon, this wouldn't work and all would be lost. The effort, the trade… and most of all, this man's life.

The first sensation that crossed John's dizzied mind was grass beneath his right fingertips. Then a soft touch on his burning chest. It appeared strange, more like a strain than an ache. Abruptly his eyes snapped open. He took in a deep, violent breath like a drowning man, looking around in bewilderment.

"Easy, Colonel." Mroxos seemed all but worn out.

"What…", Sheppard could hardly make himself heard with his throat dry and somehow numb.

He tried again. This time he was sure that he actually articulated the words aloud.

"What happened? Where's my team?" He already attempted to get up on his arms.

"Rest just an instant more. Let your body adapt."

"Like hell! Is everyone ok?"

The other man's firm hand on his shoulder kept him down.

"They are fine. It's you who had us worried."

John didn't miss the subtle hint of sadness in this exclaim. He frowned at the ambassador.

"I am sorry…", Mroxos trailed off, noticeably uncomfortable.

"What?" Sheppard, tired of playing games, demanded perhaps a little too brusquely.

"You were seriously injured in the assault, Colonel. Yet, I am a healer among my people. Some of the more educated inhabitants of Shry are…"

"Great, I'm feeling fine." He said, exaggerating only a bit, ignoring the strange recollections in his mind that hid away from him, just out of reach.

"You are now." The ambassador paused again. "I healed the damage to your body. It took an enormous amount of my remedial capacity but it worked."

John began to feel slightly uneasy. Somehow he doubted he wanted to know what was coming.

"Even though your body had already stopped its initial functions, I was able to make the blood circle through your veins again. But I cannot, however, give you your life back."

The words struck like a whip and for one breathless moment Sheppard just stared at the man, too stunned to say anything. Too perplexed to even think.

"I am just what I said – a healer. Sorry, Colonel Sheppard. I really am."

John swallowed hard, panic rising in him. He put his hands before his eyes and tried to shake off this nightmare. He could feel his fingers touch his brow, his hot breath against his palms. He breathed deeply. How could he not be alive?

The ambassador bowed his head and avoided looking straight into his eyes.

"There's still one more thing you must be informed of."

Sheppard closed his eyes, bracing himself. This revelation didn't sound encouraging at all.

"This will only last for some time. A few days perhaps. After that, there will be nothing left. Only death."

oOo

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3: Meetings

A/N: Thanks a lot for all the kind reviews. I'm sorry that the next chapter took quite some time getting posted, RL had me in its grip…For betaing, a whole lot of hugs to my sister twinchaosblade.

oOo

**Meetings**

When Ronon, Teyla and Rodney heard several people approaching over the grassy plain, they turned around, amazement and disbelief on their sullen faces. They hardly trusted their eyes to see Colonel Sheppard catching up on them with the ambassador and, a few steps behind, the two servants. He didn't exactly look a picture of health but indisputably better than minutes ago, lying on the ground and dying.

John could almost grab at the feeling of relief he saw in his team's features right now, it was that intense. He knew, this was beyond them and he didn't have the slightest intention to tell them the bad news which inevitably came along. He had also asked Mroxos to keep it secret.

There would be a time to tell them. But not here, not now.

"Colonel?!?" Teyla was the first to say something, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

Ronon and McKay just stood there and gazed, a hint of a smile on the Satedan's face, more than relief on Rodney's.

"Turns out the ambassador here", Sheppard pointed back at the man when he came within earshot of the others, "is a healer. And a good one, by that." He answered their unasked question to keep them from inquiring too much. He didn't understand all this himself and didn't want to have to explain it.

"But… you…" McKay muttered, waving in the general direction of where Sheppard had been shot.

"I'm just fine, really. As good as new." John cut him off, hoping none of the others noticed the merest lack of conviction in his voice. "Let's go to the city and see what we can do about the ZPM."

"Are you sure, you don't want to return to Atlantis and have Dr Beckett have a look at you?" Teyla sounded evidently concerned.

"Nah… I'm fine. No reason to worry. Can't say, I never felt better but you get the picture. This is important. And going back to have Carson check me up now is a plainly pointless waste of time."

Teyla turned to Rodney for support but he returned her look blankly. He was still too shocked. She pondered Sheppard's statement for some time, then nodded her agreement.

So, they finally continued their walk to Shry, the ambassador and his servants again leading the way. The careless conversation, however, wouldn't come back. The past events weighed too heavily on them.

Not even once did Ronon take into consideration to put his blaster back into his holster. He knew nothing about their assailants, their motives or even their true target and that didn't offer him reassurance. He never let his attention diverge from the surroundings. The last time they had paid dearly for letting themselves get distracted.

Surprisingly, John kept to himself most of the time for the rest of the walk. McKay tried to draw him into a conversation time and again but the Colonel seemed too lost in his thoughts to care.

Eventually the grass of the plain wore out and was replaced by a broad gravel road, taking the seven people to the outskirts of the city. Only several large storage buildings and a few small huts, already worn by the weather flanked the way. None of them seemed inhabited.

The well-built houses of Shry arose still some distance away but everyone of the group felt relieved that they finally left the plain and the trees behind. Even Ronon holstered his weapon now that they reached the civilized part of this world. He didn't want to scare off the citizens or the council, who was probably waiting for the trading party already.

Teyla turned her head, looking back one last time to the far end of the plain, where the Stargate was merely a tiny spot in the distance, hardly visible. She sighed silently, not sure what exactly made her do so.

'Most likely just the general feeling of unease', she told herself and moved on.

The others were yards ahead of her when she turned back to them, passing the first of the eroded shacks. She was so much caught in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice the men rushing at her from behind the building. In her utter surprise she had difficulty fending them off as they tried to subdue her.

Teyla, however, had enough time to shout a warning to the team who instantly turned towards her. Alarmed by the yell, they saw her fall to the ground, taking two attackers down with her when suddenly from all around the huts armed men came running.

In next to no time Ronon fired his blaster at their assailants and, together with Sheppard, took three of them down, before a bullet grazed his head. This time the three natives just stood there and watched, too shocked to move while John and Ronon tried to fight off the attackers closing in on them.

They instantly knew they were outnumbered by far but even then they wouldn't have given up if it hadn't been for a hard voice drawing their attention to Rodney who was standing there at gun-point, a bewildered look on his face, arms held up in submission.

"Put your weapons down!"

The Satedan hesitated for a moment, calculating their chances. They were surrounded by at least 20 determined-looking men, armed and ready.

He shot a brief glance at McKay and another at John. Sheppard still held his P-90 aimed at the man threatening Rodney. He was clearly not keen on surrendering to whoever they were.

"All of you! Now!"

The one holding McKay hostage, jerked violently at the scientist's jacket to emphasise his words. Panic flashed through Rodney's eyes.

John held the stranger's gaze an instant longer, making sure the man knew beyond doubt he would die the very second he hurt McKay, then he gave a short nod and Ronon lowered his blaster. Unnervingly slowly Sheppard lay his P-90 and 9 Mil on the ground, never letting go of his opponent's eyes. Four men stepped up and gathered their guns while the others kept watch.

Gratefully Rodney closed his eyes momentarily. For the merest split second he had seen his friend playing the thought to shoot nevertheless, probably getting all of them killed.

"This day is really getting better and better." McKay stammered, only an instant later wishing he had kept his mouth shut.

A man dressed in a long black coat walked over to them. His whole posture speaking of self-satisfaction and superiority. He greeted them with a wicked smile that made their blood freeze.

Kolya.

oOo

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4: Negotiations

A/N: Again I can't thank you enough for your reviews and I will always owe my sister twinchaosblade for betaing. Have fun.

oOo

**Negotiations**

"Ambassador", Kolya said meaningfully while he approached. The Genii moved to give way for their leader then closed the lines again.

Mroxos couldn't help but back away a step or two. He visibly paled at the man's appearance. His servants stood nearby, hardly breathing. Sheppard tensed and the Atlantis team watched for the moment, not eager to draw Kolya's attention to themselves too early. There was no doubt they would be getting more than their rightful share anyway.

"Didn't I tell you, we were to meet again?" The Genii Commander's smile had nothing reassuring and Mroxos swallowed hard, failing miserably at keeping the fear out of his voice.

"Commander Kolya, I…"

Without warning, Kolya drew his gun in one smooth move and shot the frightened ambassador. With his eyes wide open in utter surprise, the man crumbled, dead before he ever hit the ground.

Sheppard and the others stared in terror. McKay coughed, almost forgetting to inhale. With sprinkles of Mroxos' blood on his face, he looked every bit as though he would faint any second. The ambassador's servants didn't even dare crouch down beside their fallen Master. For a seemingly endless moment the passing of time was deprived of all meaning, silence pressing down hard on all of them.

Then Kolya slowly turned to the Atlanteans. He didn't even shed a second glance at the man he had just murdered in cold-blood.

"Colonel Sheppard, glad to see you up and about. When my first shot went off course, I almost thought I had killed you. But then, I should have known you were not that easy to take out."

He looked John up and down for a moment, taking in his defiant posture and his blazing eyes.

"You know, you amazed me quite a lot when you escaped with that Wraith. I shouldn't have ruled this possibility out. You have always been pretty resourceful in desperate situations."

Sheppard fixed Kolya's eyes as some of the worst memories of his entire life flashed through his mind. He had never told his friends that he still suffered from nightmares every now and then. Even now there were moments when he would wake up at night, soaked in sweat, the scream echoing away in the silence, his own. Moments when he saw himself tied to the chair again as Kolya's men dragged in the Wraith, when he could still feel the Wraith's hand slamming down on his chest and his life being drained from him. He was sure, the agony of that torture would haunt him forever. But he would be damned if he showed Kolya!

"Last time I saw you before your surprising getaway, you were near death but you seem to have recovered rather well."

If Kolya expected an answer or an explanation, he wouldn't get it. Sheppard just kept staring at him, not willing to turn his eyes down first. He didn't even flinch when the Genii Commander backhanded him.

Ronon growled and moved without thinking of the consequences. One of the surrounding men stopped him with a vicious hit at the stomach with the butt of his rifle. The Satedan bent double and shot the man a look that would have scared off an approaching Wraith Hive. The Genii took a cautious step away from Ronon, which earned him a dangerous look from his leader, promising Kolya wouldn't let him get away with this cowardice once this was over.

"We need to talk", Kolya said in a matter-of-fact tone that allowed no objection. "Bring them!"

Without waiting for them or his men, he turned and walked over casually to one of the poor shacks. Teyla, Rodney, Ronon and John were grabbed by the arms rudely and force-marched after Kolya at gunpoint, discarding the shocked servants and the dead ambassador back on the gravel road. They were of no further use for the Genii.

McKay, looking back at the natives, winced mutely when they dragged him away along with his team. Considering what had happened to Mroxos, he figured their chances of getting out of this alive were pretty infinitesimal.

The interior of the eroded hut looked as poor as the outside, barely stable enough to risk going inside. Some of the props were broken or withered away, even the roof was past the point of keeping the bad weather out. Small spots of sunlight danced over the dusty floor whenever a cloud passed by. It smelled of rotten wood and decay.

'How fitting', Rodney thought, unable to push the dark vision of upcoming doom away. 'This is going to end really bad.'

The armed guards forced them to kneel on the ground opposite Kolya, who towered over them like a lord over his minions and every bit as self-satisfied. The scenery almost had a touch of a movie setting: the four captives looking up at the king who randomly decided their fate. Kolya let the silence sink in an instant longer, letting them feel they were at his mercy, indulging in his superiority. He could sense their despise, even hatred but they posed no threat to him now. When he finally spoke, his voice was nonchalant and nearly friendly.

"I am sorry you had to witness this unpleasant example of justice but the late ambassador chose his fate all by himself. He should have been smart enough to know I always get the better of those who cheat on me."

At Kolya's evil smile, the Atlantis team felt a cold shiver running down their backs. This time he turned to Rodney, well aware that both Ronon and John tensed visibly in a protective stance. He couldn't hide a smile, these men were warriors to the core.

"Doctor McKay, it's always a pleasure to see you again." He eyed the scientist curiously as Rodney held his breath, straightened and returned the Genii Commander's stare. There was a trace of fear in his look but also courage.

"No need to get worried. We're not there yet." Kolya paused a moment, still smiling.

"You will surely remember my last demand. Well, it hasn't changed. I want this traitor Ladon Radim! And you will be so kind to turn him over to me."

McKay's stubborn expression made him smile even wider. He cast a look at the others' set faces and knew he was going to enjoy this game. Again.

Kolya drew in a deep breath and continued to dictate his conditions.

"You will be allowed to go back to the Stargate, accompanied by a couple of my men, to bring Ladon." Kolya didn't miss the short look Ronon and Sheppard exchanged.

"Without your weapons and radios." He pointed out and turned back to Rodney and Teyla.

"The young lady and Doctor McKay will keep me company of course, just in case you should be in need of something to convince you. You have one and a half hours..."

"What?!?" McKay cut him off in his usual rude manner. "It's already one hour to the Gate and back. Not counting the time…"

"One hour, fifteen minutes." Kolya said, clearly unimpressed by Rodney's rant.

"But you said…" the scientist squeaked.

"One hour! Starting now."

When Rodney inhaled again sharply, Sheppard shot him an infuriated look. "McKay!"

Flinching, Rodney shut his mouth, clenched his teeth and seemed to shrink a bit, outraged at the general injustice of this treatment but also ashamed of himself for making the task unnecessarily harder to accomplish for Ronon and John.

Kolya just stood there, enjoying the fact that the scientist himself had tightened the rules considerably.

"I don't care how you do it but if I don't see a handcuffed Ladon here on time, or should you try to set me up…" He stared at the two men and his smile faded, replaced by something far colder.

"I'll leave that to your imagination, Colonel."

oOo

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5: A Race Against Time

A/N: As I mentioned before, I am truly flattened by your more than positive reviews and kind words. Thank you. Further more I am all praise for the betaing by my sister twinchaosblade.

I know I said something about posting the next bit around the weekend but you shall be rewarded for the long wait. I put on the entire rest of the story in one heroic act, so enjoy the ride!

oOo

**A Race Against Time**

They were running as fast as they would allow themselves, trying to safe some time on the countdown as long as they had the strength for it. Of course Ronon was leading by good measure but Sheppard held tight. Every now and then the Satedan cast a look over his shoulder and couldn't hide a grin. The ten Genii guards were way back, not even on the best of their days able to outrun the former Runner. But even so, one hour's time was ridiculously short for the fulfilment of Kolya's demand. Ronon didn't have to be a genius to know that. Yet thinking of geniuses, he fumed even more about Rodney's stupidity, starting to challenge the Genii Commander!

The Satedan shook his head in dismay, sending his dread locks flying about and widened his paces. This sort of stubborn behaviour would get McKay into serious trouble sooner or later. That is, if he didn't succeed in finally getting himself killed today!

Up until now it looked every bit as if their lucky stars eventually were dimmed to complete darkness.

The Gate was close now and the two warriors spurred themselves on. There would be a few moments to catch their breath when they had to stop to dial the Genii Home world.

John reached the Ancient Monument mere seconds after Ronon, and his first glance went for his watch. The digits showed him they had barely gained 15 minutes. Damn!

'If Kolya doesn't actually kill you this time, McKay, I'm gonna do it myself', Sheppard thought, finding no relief in his ranting.

He inhaled deeply, turned to the DHD and began dialling the glyphs. Somehow he felt strange: laboured, exhausted, even though the running distance couldn't have affected him all that much. Then Sheppard suddenly remembered Mroxos' words about not being alive. Shuddering, he pushed the discomforting thoughts away and tried to concentrate on their mission. How in all good heavens were the two of them supposed to bring Ladon here? And how in hell could he even consider sacrificing the man for the lives of his friends? There had to be another way!

The Genii guards only arrived in time to see the Stargate kawoosh in a powerful eruption after Sheppard had pressed the final symbol. Ronon looked them up and down contemptuously, the hint of a mock smile on his face. If that's the pride of Kolya's little army…

The soldiers must have noticed the Satedan's obvious despise for them because they raised their guns and threw him a dangerous look, all but inviting him to test his luck. John saw the shift in Ronon's expression and grabbed the man's arm to draw him away. Time was already short without getting into a fight they couldn't win. For a heartbeat Dex resisted, returning the men's stares. Then need won over pride and he started to walk away from them, following his team leader to the event horizon, eventually settling into a trot.

Sheppard cast another glance at his watch just before they stepped through the Gate: 42 minutes to go, 42 minutes to decide their fate.

The sun was still high up in the horizon of the alien planet, its beams gently warming the waiting men at the Stargate. They were sitting in the grass, chatting casually with each other and grateful that Commander Kolya couldn't see them like this, stretched out and enjoying themselves while on duty. Not one of them could suppress a flinch when all of a sudden the Gate activated audibly and kawooshed again. In next to no time they jumped to their feet, spreading out in battle formation, guns at the ready and waiting for the arriving men. One of them took his position slightly to the side and behind the Ring to be able to observe the situation without immediately getting caught in a possible firefight. He established radio contact to their leader as they had been told. If this was a trap, Kolya would get to know instantly and could take action.

Three men stepped through the event horizon before the Stargate shut down again, one of them with his hands tied.

"Commander Kolya, it is just the two of them", the soldier confirmed dutifully. "And they brought Ladon as you requested. No sign of a trap for now. Over."

With Ladon in tow, John and Ronon stopped several yards in front of the Genii guards and raised their hands in submission. Three men came forth, searching them cautiously for hidden weapons or radios while the others kept aiming their guns at them, ready to shoot should they dare a false move.

Sheppard forced himself to breathe calmly. He was worn out, impatient, edgy to the snapping point and unwilling to spend the whole early afternoon being body checked by enemies. After all, time was very crucial in this mad race. When he moved his head to look at Ronon, who was clearly as displeased with this treatment as John, one of the guards tensed and took even better aim at him. He sighed in surrender. This was evidently not the time to take chances. Nevertheless he could see out of the corner of his eye that Ladon was respectfully dealt with by the soldiers. Certainly Kolya's grudge against the new, self-proclaimed statesman was not their's.

After they had been proven clean, the three Genii went to retrieve their own weapons and joined their comrades. Sheppard took his hands down slowly and checked his watch again. To hell with Kolya and his ultimatum! Only eight minutes left and they were still standing here at the Gate at gun-point, unsure whether or not it was safe to move again and get going now.

Finally one of the surrounding men motioned in the direction of Shry with his gun, signalling them to walk on. Having no time to waste, Ronon grabbed Ladon's arm and started running again, dragging the Genii leader with him. Sheppard followed them wordlessly.

Ladon had problems holding on to their pace, and not only because his tied hands affected his running. Probably no one could ever match the Satedan, particularly on plain ground. Of the ten guards at the Stargate, only four men went after them, the others stayed to keep watch.

While getting closer to the still-distant shacks, John checked the time continuously. Unsurprisingly the ultimatum was running out on them mercilessly. Kolya was a bastard! Would he start harming Rodney and Teyla even though he knew they were on their way and had, in accordance with his conditions, brought Ladon along? Although nothing could stop him from getting his revenge on his former strike team member now, would Kolya really hold true to his promise and let them all go free?

John began to feel weaker by the minute. Didn't Mroxos tell him this would last several days? Maybe running like the poor soul trying to run from the devil did nothing to improve his current condition. Well, obviously he couldn't ask the ambassador anymore. And to be honest, it didn't really matter all too much as long as he could at least ensure the safety of his team.

Ronon, Sheppard and Ladon finally approached the huts to find Kolya stranding alone outside, waiting for them with an unusual warm smile.

"Gentlemen", he greeted them, and his shining eyes betrayed his satisfaction, "you are six minutes late."

Ronon inhaled sharply and for a split second his fists were clenched and his look warned the Commander not to go too far. Kolya laughed but the sound of it was neither joyful nor reassuring. To John's left Ladon was bending double and tried to catch his breath. His head was alarmingly red from the effort of keeping up with the two Atlanteans.

"Time is up but I'm a reasonable man. And since I knew Ladon came with you and you were on the way, you will find your friends in perfect health, Colonel."

Kolya didn't miss the relief on their faces but also saw their slight doubt. He shrugged and went inside, trusting his arriving guards to escort the captives into the shack. When they all entered, still breathing heavily, John saw Rodney and Teyla, who were sitting on the dusty floor to the right, sigh in relief. Their hands were bound but they seemed unharmed. McKay was all but beaming out of sheer happiness to see his friends again. Whatever came next, at least they were not on their own.

In the meantime Kolya faced Ladon, hardly paying any attention to the others. At last his goal was achieved, the leadership over the Genii lay within his grasp once more.

"Ladon, now we finally meet again. Today will be a day to remember for our people."

Ladon swallowed and tried to play nonchalant but his features gave away his insecurity.

"You will not succeed in this little game of yours, Kolya. My people are…"

Kolya smacked him across the face, cutting short Ladon's reply. His eyes were blazing and his voice trembled with rage.

"The Genii are NOT your people! First you took advantage of me and betrayed me to Cowen, knowing very well what he would do, and then you usurped the power yourself. I am their rightful leader, you are nothing but a poor upstart!"

With his tied hands Ladon wiped away the blood seeping from his cut lip and straightened again. He fixed the eyes of his former team leader, defiant, not giving in an inch.

Kolya nodded approvingly. The Genii's lead scientist had proven hardy before, that had been the reason for asking him into the strike team for the failed Atlantis mission in the first place.

"Well, we won't discuss this here and now. I have other things to take care of first."

With a sideways nod the Genii Commander ordered his soldiers to take Ladon away. Two of them grabbed the man's arms, three lead the way and another three walked out of the hut covering the rear.

oOo

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6: Judgement Day

A/N: Great to see that you are still with me and, what's more, with the boys (and the girl) because they will need every support they can get. BTW, the outcome of this chapter's last scene was a personal request of my twin sister's who did a marvellous job in betaing this.

I put on the entire rest of the story in one heroic act, so enjoy the ride!

oOo

**Judgement Day**

Rodney and Teyla stood up slowly while Ronon and John straightened visibly. They knew all too well what Kolya meant with his statement. This was it, the moment their own fate would eventually be decided one way or the other. The Commander turned around to them casually, enjoying his superiority to the full once more.

"Colonel Sheppard, I have to say, I never thought you were really going to hand over Ladon to me. You are not losing your edge, are you?"

'All I'm losing here is my patience', John thought but suppressed the snappy remark just before it slipped. It probably wouldn't have done them any favour.

For the merest split second he could see the hint of a light outside through the gaps in the woodwork. Kolya noticed it too. That was enough of a distraction for Sheppard to move. He punched his fist into the Commander's face as hard as he could, sending him stumbling backwards with a surprised look to his and turned on the next guard. Ronon snatched the gun away from one of the soldiers standing within his reach, clubbed it over the man's head forcefully and threw him at another one who was aiming his own blaster at him.

Meanwhile Teyla had already taken down one man herself but was suddenly seized from behind and thrown to the ground. Rodney, not knowing what else to do, jumped at the soldier's back, put his tied hands around his neck and pulled rearwards, cutting off the man's wind. The Satedan was battering the senses out of another guy and John was engaged in a fight with some Genii, when Teyla was suddenly attacked full frontal. Yet she showed impressively that she could protect herself even with her hands bound. She tackled the man with her left shoulder, forcing him several steps back and kicked his feet from under him. Head first he slumped down with a heavy thud and lay still.

Somewhere to the side, McKay winced as he got hit repeatedly with the right elbow of the man he was strangling. They fell to the floor together, the soldier landed on top but the scientist valiantly held on, despite the pain, not giving in until the thrashing and struggling finally ceased. Today Sheppard would be proud of him.

When the soldier, who had been buried by the unconscious man Dex had crashed into him, eventually broke free of his burden and assaulted the Satedan once more, Ronon hammered his elbow with a half-turn into the man's face and nearly crushed his scull. Then he went to reclaim his blaster from where it was lying on the dusty ground.

After defeating every guard inside the shack, Rodney, Ronon and Teyla turned around, cautiously checking for any other looming danger. They saw Sheppard and Kolya engaged in battle and silently decided to let them fight it out and wait for the outcome. John deserved his chance to get back at the Genii Commander. The two men were locked in a ferocious hand-to-hand combat in which no one was getting the better of the other so far.

Kolya landed several hard blows to Sheppard's ribcage, forcing John to bend over and step back, coughing for air. But the Genii didn't give him time to catch his breath, he followed him and struck at his jaw. Sheppard managed to bring his arm up and block the hit somehow. Then he countered with two fierce punches to Kolya's sternum, thereby regaining some space to inhale deeply and stand straight.

Barely out of arm's reach, they walked about one another like stalking tigers for a second, eying each other closely to find a weakness. Kolya was the first to stike again. Fast as lightning he stepped in and belted John's chin with a powerful upward blow. Sheppard stumbled and the Genii went after him for the kill. John caught his balance only to get hit once more, but then brought his knee up and drove it forcefully into Kolya's stomach. The man bent double and Sheppard clutched his hands and smashed them onto the Commander's back with all the strength he could muster. Kolya went down, the wind knocked out of his lungs. He tried to come up again but found himself unable to. John Sheppard had won!

All of a sudden, they were engulfed in a bright light and found themselves on the hangar deck of the Daedalus, surrounded by a band of armed marines. When they saw there was no imminent danger anymore, they went to the subdued Genii, gathered the men's weapons and started cuffing their hands. None of them resisted, they were either still unconscious or too beat up to fight back. A soldier approached Teyla and McKay and cut through their bonds with his knife. The Athosian smiled warmly and Rodney started to rub his wrists, muttering something about lack of blood circulation under his breath.

"Colonel Sheppard." Caldwell greeted in his matter-of-fact way, stepped past the busy marines and approached the Atlantis team, sporting a concerned yet relieved look.

"We had some difficulties with our guests who accompanied Ladon, so we couldn't get you here sooner." It sounded more like a status report than an excuse. But then, John didn't expect any. Back on the Genii Home world he himself had told Caldwell that they should beam Ladon and his escort up first if it proved impossible to get a lock on all of them at the same time.

"Where is Ladon now?" Sheppard wanted to know.

Before Caldwell could answer, their attention was caught by a sudden scuffle as the marines tried to haul Kolya away. The handcuffed Genii Commander still seemed groggy but nevertheless fixed John's eyes defiantly.

"Remember what I told you down on the planet, Colonel. I'm not like to forget this any time soon!" With a dark promise on his face, the soldiers finally managed to drag him out of the hangar.

Caldwell turned to the team again. "He's waiting in one of the guest quarters. He asked me to tell you he wanted to thank you before he leaves. So, are you ready to head back to Atlantis now?"

"No, not yet, Sir. We've got to go down again to see if we still got a chance to get the ZPM." John sighed deeply, feeling weak. If his decline continued at this rate, he wouldn't last many more days. So it was better to get it done with while he had time.

"Do you need us to wait?"

"No, Sir, thanks. I'll pay Ladon a short visit and then you can beam us back to the surface. We talk to the council and gate back to Atlantis."

Caldwell nodded. "Let me know when you are ready then." The Daedalus Commander walked away, ordering one of his soldiers to take Colonel Sheppard to Ladon Radim.

It felt more than just a little odd standing once again on the planet barely outside the city with the warm sunshine and a soft afternoon breeze touching their skin, but maybe, only maybe they had endured enough and were finally rewarded with good news and a ZPM in the end.

The four of them started out to meet the council. Again. That also had a strange sound to it.

This time they reached Shry without any incident and all sighed in relief when they eventually, after a short walk through the clean and well-built city, entered the impressive congress hall.

The architecture was awesome, an all glass and metal construction, taking the viewer's eyes inevitably up to the huge, remarkable golden ring on top with its artfully carved and polished crystal in its center. Mroxos had told them the other day that this crystal had been shaped precisely to reflect the sun for to enlighten the marble statue of Shry's most famous high king annually at high noon on the anniversary day of his coronation.

John went up to the young man behind the plain desk in the marvellous lounge to ask for the council. The others waited for him. Rodney scarcely managed to hold back the urge to plant himself into one of the beautifully arranged couches. Teyla and Ronon shot him a warning look. They had left the council waiting for them for hours, even if this was nothing of their doing. There was absolutely no point in offending these people any further.

Sheppard walked back to his team mates after the desk warden had phoned the high councillor. He didn't care about etiquette anymore, he was too damn tired. So he dropped heavily on one of the colourful, inviting couches. McKay cast a glance at the others then at the Colonel and placed himself beside John with a satisfied smile.

By the time the council finally deigned to show up, even Teyla and Ronon had taken seats. John looked at his watch. They had been waiting for the better part of an hour. The team got up from their places but the head councillor waved dismissively.

"Good day, gentlemen, lady", his words were accompanied with a polite nod to each one of them but his expression remained unreadable.

"We took the extreme liberty of calling a confidential meeting prior to talking with you. To your disappointment we decided that we would not start any exchange of goods with you, including the priceless ancestor device you requested. This decision is final and due to your obviously active part, at least to some extend, in mayhem and even murder. In addition we wish no further contact with you and your people since we despise of those who pursue a life of violence such as this. I am sorry. Moreover, we would consider it a favour if you left our planet within the next hour."

Sheppard, McKay, Ronon and Teyla could hardly believe what they were just told. After all they had gone through today, they found themselves accused of taking part in what happened and sent away like some unwelcome beggars. Upon arising they cast the council members a displeased but defeated glance and turned to leave. Looking into their faces, they could tell it was no use starting a discussion. These men had made up their minds. This truly had proven an accursed day if ever there was one!

oOo

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7: Aftermath

A/N: Now let's find out what becomes of John. I hope you are all biting your fingernails to get to know (or else I did something wrong). Betaed by the gorgeous twinchoasblade.

I put on the entire rest of the story in one heroic act, so enjoy the ride!

oOo

**Aftermath**

Carson Beckett was fuming.

"And you wanted to tell me this unimportant little snippet of news when exactly, Colonel?"

John was lying on one of the infirmary beds, his bare chest showing a few bruises, evidence to the fight he had had with Kolya. He was attached to the EKG and looked more than only a bit worried.

"I came here right after we returned from this darned mission, didn't I, Doc?"

He shot Beckett one of his infamous puppet-looks, only this time the CMO didn't fall for it.

"That's precisely what I mean. AFTER the mission! Didn't it occur to you one moment that this was something relevant for me to know immediately?"

John's eyes followed Carson's index finger pointing at the heart monitor, which showed a discouraging flatline, the unnerving, constant beep already turned off.

Beckett sighed. It was no use discussing the Colonel's tendency to stay away from the infirmary.

"Alright, son. Tell me again what the ambassador told you."

"He said he could heal the damage to my body…"

"That's probably why you show no sign whatsoever of a gun shot wound", Carson interrupted him mid-sentence.

Nodding, Sheppard continued, "Right, and make the blood keep circling through my veins."

"Which he obviously did, or else you wouldn't be doing 'the living dead' on me now."

"Funny", John retorted with an uneasy smirk.

"Honestly, Colonel, I can't find anything funny about it, yet. What else?"

"Last thing he mentioned was that he could in no way restore my life. Oh, and that it lasted only for a while. So, I thought I was pretty fucked up anyway." Despite his statement, his voice still held some hope that Beckett would come up with something. Anything.

But Carson was pacing along the bedside. His manner did nothing to reassure John.

"For all I know, you are already clinically dead", he exclaimed.

"I know…"

Beckett turned around to face Sheppard, a hint of realization in his eyes.

"But you aren't really dead of course because your blood still runs through your body."

The Colonel looked at him blankly.

"You are clinically dead. That's the proper medical term for saying your heart isn't beating." He unnecessarily pointed at the EKG. John didn't even let his eyes follow the hint this time.

"The ambassador told you he could not restore your life, right?"

Confused nodding.

"He made your blood keep circling but couldn't make your heart start beating again. But we could."

Without further explanation he was out of the door and back again in no time, dragging the defibrillator with him. Sheppard stared in shock.

"All we have to do is get your heart back into the process. It's worth a try, don't you think, Colonel? After all, what damage can it possibly do?"

"Leave me dead altogether, Carson", he reminded him.

"Aye, but as you mentioned yourself about two minutes ago, that's going to happen anyway."

Beckett turned the low, frequent beep of the EKG on again. This time Sheppard couldn't help but watch it for a seemingly endless moment. Crap! This was not going to be a comfortable afternoon. Or was it? Carson already prepared the paddles and charged the defibrillator while John closed his eyes, sighing deeply.

'If this is how it ends, better get it over with soon', he thought, giving the CMO a short nod.

For one brief moment he felt the paddles touch his bare skin. Then energy surged through his body, his chest lifted from the bed and slumped down again, leaving him unconscious.

Beckett looked at the heart monitor.  
Flatline!  
He recharged the defibrillator, pressing the paddles back onto John's chest, and pushed the buttons. Again Sheppard's body jolted from the sheets and fell back.  
A look at the EKG.  
Still flatline!

Recharging the damned thing for the third time seemed to take ages. John didn't have that time, he knew. Even as the machine signalled being geared up, he already held the paddles to his patient and unloaded the charge.

The constant beep of the EKG shrilling in his ears, he nevertheless took an unnecessary glance at the monitor.

Still flatline!

"Be damned, John Sheppard! Give me a chance to kick your butt for this!!!" Carson desperately clung to his anger.

Once again he charged the defibrillator, not willing to give up on John just yet. He gritted his teeth, muttering under his breath a plea to the stars, knowing all too well that time was running out on both of them.

Shock.

The limp body came up and fell back.

Flatline!

Beckett looked desperate, out of options. This time. Again.  
He slammed the reload button on the defibrillator impatiently. And just then the continuous beep changed, the EKG displayed a weak trembling of the heart, gradually improving to a faint pulse and strengthening blood pressure.  
John drew in a ragged breath, his sinus curve steadying, pulse evening out.

Carson could have sobbed in spite of himself, so relieved was he. Turning off the defibrillator, he let go of the paddles, taking Sheppard's wrist up and checking his pulse manually as if to convince himself in person that the Colonel was back from the dead. For a moment he just stood there. His mind blank, body exhausted. This time was close. Too close.

John lay there, breathing calmly now, his skin displaying a different colour than the sheets again as the monitor dutifully confirmed that his pulse and blood pressure were almost back to a normal level.

When Carson came back from returning the defibrillator, he was only a bit surprised to find Rodney standing in the room, staring at Sheppard in utter shock.

"What…?"

"He'll be just fine, Rodney." Carson said wearily. "Give him a few hours to recover and he'll explain himself."

'This was promising to become an entertaining conversation between these two', the CMO smiled gloatingly.

oOo

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8: Ruins

A/N: We'll get see how this plays out now for Sheppard and McKay. I'm never going to make up for the betaing of twinchaosblade, thanks a lot.

I put on the entire rest of the story in one heroic act, so enjoy the ride!

oOo

**Ruins**

"Three days for observation in the infirmary was all I asked of you, Colonel! This is rather a chance to recover than punishment."

"Yeah, and bore me to death." John answered grumpily.

"You're not going to take it easy on you anyway should I release you now."

There was nothing to argue about that. Carson was right, and he knew it.

"I've been around for two whole days now, Carson", Sheppard tried again. "And you said yourself, I was fine."

"Don't start with me, lad." The Doc left the room. John only would have shot him his poor-little-puppy look Beckett didn't even bother to count anymore.

"Rodney's not even coming to pay a visit." Sheppard mumbled to himself.

"And that's all up to you", Carson called from the other room. John hadn't expected him to have heard.

"I know", he admitted abashedly.

Actually the conversation between the two didn't turn out entertaining at all when John had explained Rodney everything the other day. After yelling at each other for about a minute, the scientist had just turned on his heels and walked out of the infirmary without looking back, set expression on his face.

Teyla and Ronon of course knew that McKay and Sheppard had had a run in. They would come around once in a while to cheer him up a little and try to ignore that he didn't hide the fact very well that it bugged him to be unable to settle the differences with Rodney.

Most of the time the Colonel would just sit in his bed, listening more or less politely to what his friends told him without so much as paying real attention. At other times he would try to sneak out of the infirmary on his own. But Carson, knowing Sheppard all too well, kept a watchful eye on his patient, forcing him back into bed more than once with playful threats involving all sorts of needles and even restraining him.

In the late afternoon, Beckett finally couldn't take it anymore. He went to see McKay himself and left John with the one person he could trust to keep Sheppard in the infirmary – Ronon.

As suspected, Carson found Rodney in his lab. The whole place submerged in chaos, with all sorts of equipment lying around. The scientist was nowhere to be seen, yet he was evidently there. The chaos bore witness to that.

"Ah, Radek, finally!" A voice came from somewhere under a workbench when Beckett entered the room. "I almost thought you were purposefully avoiding me."

"It's just me, Rodney", Carson said.

"Oh…" McKay didn't sound too cheerful. "I'm extremely busy right now. But you could just look if you see Zelenka somewhere on your way out."

"I'm not leaving without getting some things straight." Beckett was not going to let himself get dismissed like a first-grader.

"I sincerely doubt that your business is only half as important as the things I'm trying to fix here. Of course I could divide my attention between you and the generator but then I might end up with the city's energy level dropping to zero-zero, hm", Rodney snapped, still not coming up from under the workbench.

"John really wants to talk things over."

Carson hardly even got a response.

"Hm."

"Rodney…"

"If he wants to talk his peace, let him come down here, not send his merciful councillor."

"Believe me, he tried. More than once. Always tripping him literally on the doorstep."

Not even McKay was able to suppress a silent chuckle at that Beckett noticed somewhat satisfied.

"Still too busy." The scientist exclaimed blankly.

Carson sighed and gave up, a mischievous grin on his face as he left.

Back in the infirmary, Ronon and John were discussing self-defence training schedules for the military personnel. They hardly looked up when the Doc came in.

He tried to busy himself at a shelf for some pretext, not looking at the men, suddenly saying "After all, there's no reason to keep you lying in here forever, Colonel."

Sheppard and Ronon's discussion died away immediately. Beckett didn't turn around, he didn't want them to see his broad grin when he continued.

"Actually, I was going to release you tomorrow morning anyway, so you might well be walking around a bit. That is, if Ronon keeps you company in case anything happens."

John couldn't believe it, yet he was all ears listening to the CMO. He was already out of bed when Carson finally turned to face him, trying to keep his expression as neutral as he could muster.

"But only in the immediate vicinity of the infirmary. Don't let yourself get caught somewhere near Rodney's lab, you hear me?"

"You know me, Doc. Promised." Sheppard knew exactly what Carson was up to and offered him a genuine, grateful smile.

"Thanks."

oOo

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9: Picking up the Pieces

A/N: Will they find a way to settle their differences? Ok, it may be a bit cheesy but they really needed to talk after that mission. Betaed by twinchaosblade who I always and always will owe one for this.

I put on the entire rest of the story in one heroic act, so enjoy the ride!

oOo

**Picking up the Pieces**

"McKay, are you actually somewhere in this chaos?" John called from the door.

"No!" Came the expected answer.

John couldn't help but smile.

"Fine, then I might just sit here a while and wait for you", he teased, fumbling nervously at some random equipment.

"I'm busy, dammit! Anyone with the wits of a plain toast can easily see that." Rodney was furiously typing something into his laptop.

"So, you're apparently well enough to leave the infirmary, I take?"

"Yeah, you know, Carson told me I could walk around a bit if I didn't take it too hard on me."

McKay's indirect way of asking for his welfare encouraged him.

"Rodney, I…", Sheppard started, only to get cut off immediately.

"If you didn't come here to apologize, you can save your breath altogether."

"I was", John muttered guiltily.

"As you should!" Rodney was still not looking up from his work and Sheppard hadn't quite figured out yet where his friend was hiding.

"Rodney…", he tried again.

Somewhere in the back something dropped to the floor. A short curse followed.

"See?" The scientist raised his head above the workbench several feet away from John, "this happens when every two minutes people come in and distract me. Now I have to start these calculations all over again. Thanks to you, I might add." He shot his friend a dark look and submerged again.

"Rodney! Come out from under there. Now!" Sheppard was slowly losing his patience.

"Ronon's waiting outside but you bet I won't need him to kick your butt right back to the Milky Way. Rodney!"

This time McKay emerged, arms crossed in front of him, looking all dismissive.

"You want to talk? Fine."

"Rodney, I know I should have told you earlier. But there was nothing anyone could do about it anyway. So I figured I save you all the worry."

"And continue with the mission as if nothing had happened, hm?" Rodney demanded.

John didn't answer at once.

"We needed the ZPM", he said lamely, staring down.

"I give you that", McKay admitted surprisingly. "But what about returning to Atlantis and strolling off with some silly excuse about wanting to talk with Carson in private for an instant?"

When Sheppard looked at him again, Rodney had a hurt expression on his face.

"It's not like you didn't mention something very, very important." McKay hissed cynically. "You were as good as dead… and don't even start to interrupt me now", he angrily waved away John's remark. "You didn't tell us on the darn planet. You didn't tell us when we were on the Daedalus. You didn't tell us when we were waiting for the accursed council. And you didn't tell us when we came back here." Rodney's face had turned red while he chided Sheppard.

Then, after a short pause he added very silently: "You didn't tell me…"

John instantly knew they finally had hit the crucial point.

"Rodney…"

"What do you think, Sheppard? When I went to the infirmary, I wanted to join in your little chat with Carson. I surely didn't expect to find you more dead than alive!"

John felt somehow this was not the time to further discuss that at that precise moment he had actually been on his way to recovery already.

"I'm sorry", he muttered guilt-stricken.

McKay looked at him for a long moment. He knew this wasn't easy for the Colonel as well but he also didn't want to let him off the hook just yet.

"It looked a hell of a lot like you didn't want to have any of us around when _you_ needed help for a change. I thought we were supposed to be friends?" With his chin stubbornly protruding, his voice nonetheless lacked the sharp tone of his earlier accusations.

Sheppard shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. McKay had a point in that and they both knew it. He had always been restrictive with showing too much of himself, especially his weaknesses. Always en guard, afraid someone could use the rare opportunity to really hurt him. He sighed deeply, looking calmly at his friend.

Rodney and he had been through a lot together in these past two and a half years on Atlantis. And he knew he could trust him without exceptions. The man was neither a brilliant shot nor a fierce fighter but he had earned himself a rightful place in the strike team, coming a long way for just a genius, geeky scientist. Even though McKay didn't go for all the super-macho manner, he had saved John's life more than once, displaying incredible courage. Despite all this, the friendship they shared also provided enough of a safe distance to draw back to just teasing each other sometimes, which of course was fine with both of them. But now he also saw how it hurt Rodney to be left out when something severe happened.

"Rodney, I promise to tell you next time." He hesitated, rolling his eyes. "Oh God, I really hope there will be no next time. Point is, I didn't leave you out on purpose."

"Which leads us back to the philosophical question of whether or not it hurts less when it's not on purpose…"

John smiled broadly, genuinely relieved and grateful for this offer. The wisecracking of course earned McKay a slap around the head from Sheppard, which he on the other hand repaid with a playful punch at the Colonel's side. The two men looked at each other, smiling, once again entirely comfortable in the other's company.

"So, are we good?" John asked somewhat still uncertain.

"No", McKay exclaimed amused, "I'm good; you're cool."

oOo

To be continued…

A/N: Idea paraphrased from Nancy Springer, "Metal Angel"


	10. Chapter 10: Epilogue

A/N: This is only a short epilogue to get things right back on track again, so it doesn't become AU. Still bowing at twinchaosblade's feet for the beta.

oOo

**Epilogue**

"Incoming wormhole", Chuck announced even as the Gate kawooshed. "It's Ladon Radim's IDC, only audio and video signal."

"Put it on screen and open a channel."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Weir had a bad presentiment about Ladon's call for some indistinct reason.  
The face of the Genii leader appeared on screen right in front of Elizabeth. He didn't seem all too comfortable himself.

'This is definitely a bad sign', she thought.

"Atlantis, this is Ladon Radim."

"Go on, Ladon, this is Weir."

"I thought you should know that Kolya and some of his men escaped from prison last night. They killed several guards and we don't know where they might be hiding now. Our assumption is that they obviously had help from outside but as of now I have no further information myself."

Weir swallowed hard, a cold shiver running down her spine. She tried not to sound accusing.

"Didn't you promise to keep him locked up in high security?"

"We did, Dr Weir." Ladon cleared his throat. "This whole situation is even more serious for us than it is for you. As soon as I get new information on this matter, I'll contact you again immediately. Ladon out."

The transmission ended.

'Great', Elizabeth sighed. 'John's going to love this.'

**End**

© TCB 0.5

A/N: Thank you very much for staying with me patiently for the whole 10 chapters run. If you liked it and tell me so, I might even end up writing another story some time.


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